"We should have brought parasols," Mallory commented as she walked next to Ava. They were walking the path back to the estate, "my skin is practically on fire."

"Bringing parasols worth more than someone's average wage for a length of work isn't exactly the best way to show up to the skrims," Oceane chimed in from the other side of Ava, "feels a bit insensitive."

"Hm. I suppose," Mallory acknowledged and then continued, "but then once we were done for the aftermorning, we could give them to someone."

"What are they going to do with an expensive parasol?" Ava asked.

"Sell it?" Mallory said.

"To who?" Ava had to laugh.

Oceane joined in, "You are quite out of touch, Mal."

"We didn't do anything," Mallory ignored the laughing at her expense, "I thought we were supposed to help people."

"Everything cannot be done in one sun. We've already passed out some necessities and some gold. This aftermorning was about asking for what else is needed. Individualize and be intentional with what we help with," Ava explained.

"And then we won't be able to be here to give them their stuff," Mallory complained, "so we don't even get to help at all."

"We are getting someone to pick up and distribute what we get. We are helping. This is supposed to be more than feeling good about yourself," Oceane hummed.

"Then why did we even come out here?"

Ava didn't want to answer because the real reason was that she hadn't quite given into what Viv had suggested, she was still looking for a way out. Going through the skrims would be their best bet to avoid detection if they were to run and she was looking for a way out. Mallory and Oceane were both in on the plans but she didn't want to get anyone's hopes up or detract from helping.

"We came so we could show the women that real, normal people live with needs that they don't even think about," Ava finally answered.

"You are exploiting people to help pass your progressive policies," Mallory accused.

"Aye, that's pretty fucked, Red," Oceane said.

"You are the one that helped talk me through this!" Ava turned to harshly whisper in Oceane's direction.

"Still think it's fucked."

"I agree."

"Criticisms noted," Ava rolled her eyes.

"Doesn't seem like you were very receptive," Mallory teased.

"I was rolling my eyes at you two, not what you said," Ava argued as she tried to trudge further up on the path to get away from them but they kept catching up.

Ahead, right outside the main estate, was Viv. She looked to be waiting for them and when they were all within earshot, she called out.

"I almost expected to see at least one of you gone."

"Too many guards," Ava called back, "thanks to you."

"Viv," Oceane ran ahead and stopped in front of Viv, "you need to let me keep this dress."

"It doesn't fit you," Viv pointed out, "you are too short for it."

"My roommate is a seamstress. She can help me take it in," Oceane pouted as the others joined them.

"Sure," Viv nodded, "take Mallory to her quarters. I need Avery."

"You are so much nicer to her than you are to me," Ava said as she watched the other two make their way inside.

"She's not annoying," Viv shrugged, "your mother wants to see you."

"Why?"

"If I knew, I would have led with that," Viv said and turned around before walking toward where Ava's mother was waiting, "how was your sun in town?"

"Good. I want to sleep indefinitely though, the heat was brutal," Ava sighed in hopes to convey how exhausted she was.

"You've got a busy few suns of events and socializing but I can see about getting you a night off soon," Viv offered.

Ava raised an eyebrow, "You've been suspiciously helpful."

"I feel bad for you," Viv said as she looked over at Ava.

Ava didn't say anything in return, she pressed her mouth into a tight line and shrugged a bit, "Thanks for that."

Viv sighed and threw her head back with a grunt before stopping and making sure Ava was facing her, "I'm sorry. You've been in a weird mood and I don't know how to handle it. You question when I'm nice yet don't like when I'm mean."

Ava just nodded, "Sorry. I will snap out of it eventually."

"Maybe I do need to take you to cope in an extreme manner," Viv put her hand on Ava's back and began to guide them forward, "you don't even put up a fight."

"Seems pointless," Ava shrugged and she heard Viv somewhat laugh next to her.

"Let's hope your mother doesn't make whatever mood you are in worse," Viv said as they turned the corner into her mother's hallway.

They stopped at one of her mother's many rooms, one she took guests in, and Ava walked forward before knocking on the door.

"Mother, it is me!" Ava called out.

"Avery, come in! Leave any guests outside!"

Ava turned around and stuck her tongue out for a moment at Viv who returned the gesture with a slight smile and roll of her eyes.

"There she is," Viv said and then motioned her inside, "go. She's waiting."

Ava opened the door and slipped inside. Her mother was on one of the lounge couches and Ava walked over to take a seat on a chair nearby.

"Avery, darling, you look rather nice right now. I thought after prancing around the skrims all sun you would be downright filthy," she looked her up and down.

"They don't just sit around in manure and mud," Ava shook her head with a slight frown, "they make and maintain their own paths and road."

"Oh," her mother sat upright with a pensive look on her face, "it was terribly hot. You can take off your wig."

Ava's brow creased a little. Her mother had been as civil as she could be and it was beginning to feel wrong, "I will just wait until I am back in my room."

"I called you here for a small chat. To catch up," her mother said, "how are things with you and Jona?"

Ava nodded with a smile, "He is amusing, not awful. It's been a few suns and he is still actively courting me so I have not scared him away just yet."

"That is good to hear," her mother looked genuinely pleased and slightly more at ease than she had seen her in lengths, "Avery, I must say I am proud of you."

It was a compliment and praise she never thought she'd hear from her mother but it hurt more than the lack of it. She had been faking who she was in that court and her mother was proud of something so opposite to her; not Ava but the image of Avery she had reformed.

"Thank you," Ava nodded.

"The tea you hosted the other sun, it was so entertaining. Splendid. You are a natural host, Avery, if you weren't so cooped up in your room before we would have known your talents sooner," her mother laughed, it wasn't malicious but a mix of happiness and humor.

Ava bit her tongue and willed herself to push back the tears that had been quick to surface since Jona walked with her in the gardens a quarter cycle before.

"What am I here for?" Ava asked, knowing it was not just to catch up.

"The ladies at court have been talking about the friends you brought since they left. They think they are so fascinating," her mother said.

"I'm glad my suggestion went over well with the court."

"It went over swimmingly, Avery, they are asking if they can join in on that thing you are doing in the skrims."

"Helping people?" Ava provided with a slight raise of her eyebrow.

"Yes! Can we all join you?" her mother asked with a smile.

"We are finished with our work in the skrims but the ladies are already thinking of their next project," Ava explained and then tilted her head a bit, "but the ladies of the court may join. Only if my friends can come to court and have dinner every few suns and that way they can teach the court the purpose of helping and the proper etiquette."

"Oh that would be lovely!" her mother popped up from her cushions and flittered over to a table with some stationary and ink on it, "Dotty really has a way of storytelling. The ladies will love this. I am writing a note to be sent down to Lorraine right now."

"I will alert my friends to come to court tomorrow and that they can stay for dinner this time," Ava stood up from the chair with a nod.

"I will prepare some rooms for them to store their stuff and get ready for dinner."

"Thank you," Ava began to walk away but her mother put down her quill and made her way over to her.

"Hold on," she laughed and stood in front of Ava, putting her hands on her shoulders and looking at her in a way that Ava didn't recognize. Pride? Love? Lack of resentment?

"I should start getting ready for dinner," Ava said, wanting to get away from her mother's gaze.

Her mother reached up and put her hand to her cheek, cupping it and rubbing a soft thumb over it, "I never thought this sun would come, Avery. You are growing into an incredible woman."

"I'll see you at dinner," Ava pulled her cheek away and rushed out of the room. She marched down the hallway and Viv was on her heels.

"What was that about?"

"My plan is working," Ava said and she continued as quickly as she could through the stone passageways of the estate.

"Which one? You have a lot."

"Reforms. My mother is interested in helping out and so are the ladies of the court. The needs outside of noble life will be the talk of court in the coming cycles and then reforms will be necessary and my father will see my plan is crucial," Ava sped down the stairs, not slowing down.

"Red, slow down. What did she say to you in there? You seem more upset than when you went in," Viv managed to keep up.

"Stop calling me that," Ava snapped.

As they came to her room, Viv tried to pry information out of her again, "We work together now. You have to tell me what went on so I can be adequately prepared."

As Arnelo was unlocking her door, having been keeping watch outside, Viv gripped her arm and turned her around. Without thinking, Ava responded to the move with a slap, and Viv's head moved with the impact. She didn't say anything, just bringing her hand up to nurse her cheek.

At the sound, Arnelo had turned around and saw Ava's armed being held in place. Viv's grip was broken as she was pushed back against the wall with an arm against her neck, Arnelo having taken quick action. Ava stared for a moment before shaking her head.

"Let her go, Arnelo," Ava said and once he did, she entered her unlocked door and closed it, sliding to the ground and letting a deep sigh escape her body before the sadness began to well up inside of her from the look on her mother's face and she couldn't stop the tears.

—----

Oceane was braiding her hair into small chunks that could then be braided together. Ava didn't think it was a good idea but Oceane had wanted to experiment now that Ava's hair was longer than before. As Viv had promised, Ava had a night alone. Oceane had been asked to replace someone on dinner service since they had fallen ill and Oceane was excited about it but it meant they would only have a short amount of time together.

Which wasn't ideal because that meant she would spend her night alone and being alone as of late had been awful. She was wallowing in a pool of sadness, despair, and anger, and only keeping distracted could stop her from drowning in it. Oceane eventually finished her experiment and laughed, undoing the hairstyle before Ava could even take a look at what had occurred. Another experiment was quickly started again but Ava interrupted the braiding and leaned back so she could rest her head in Oceane's lap.

"You are usually pretty good at talking about stuff," Ava said.

Oceane shrugged one shoulder instead of complaining that Ava had moved, "My parents were really into the whole feelings thing. My mother has us go around the dinner table and express ourselves every night."

"What does that even mean?"

"We had a free space to express whatever we were feeling, positive or negative," Oceane smiled.

"Your time growing up has always sounded idyllic."

"Aye, well, I got a nice family and you got safety," Oceane said as she took a piece of Ava's hair and twirled it, "my home was warm but it was so frigid outself that the coldness sometimes took over."

"Metaphors," Ava hummed, "how poetic."

Oceane laughed.

Ava met her gaze and frowned a bit, "I'm sorry you had so much to fear growing up."

"And I'm sorry you've never known your parent's love," Oceane shot back and Ava couldn't help but laugh, "did you want to say anything? You brought up talking."

"You didn't have much of a reaction when I told you about Theo and then you just left and never said anything else about it," Ava stated rather than asking any specific question.

"Guess it just hurts when you spend so long with someone. So long looking out for them and believing their word and following them and then they shatter that image of themselves," Oceane shrugged a bit, "I know she's not bad. And I know she is hurt. And I know she is just as young and inexperienced as the rest of us but I expect more from her."

Ava had told Oceane about what Jona had said about Theo's time in Niveal and that she had agreed to work with Jona for money. It had been more than a few suns since then and Oceane had yet to follow up. It didn't take much prying to get her to pop though and Oceane looked bothered. She didn't let Ava continue.

"I understand her not coming to get you. I understand not having a feasible way to get you back. But giving up an opportunity to right her wrongs and turning it down for money with someone she shouldn't be in business with? I keep wondering if she's the same person I used to know. If she's the same person that I called my Captain..." Oceane broke Ava's gaze and looked ahead, she could see the deep frown that settled over her face.

Ava sat up and faced Oceane, "My brother did a number on her. That can change people."

She didn't know why she was trying to defend Theo and console Oceane. But deep inside, she still didn't think it made sense. The only explanation would be that Theo was fucked up, mentally and emotionally, or that Jona had lied to her and Viv.

"What if she didn't do what Jona is saying?" Ava scrunched her brows together, "I've just believed him. Of course he would want to lie to me. That would push me toward an alliance."

Oceane shook her head, "Sure, it makes sense but Theo's actions also make sense given her recent history."

"Then let's test her. We send her a letter. We get into communication with her. Let her know you are here and so am I," Ava planned.

"Hasn't this been suggested before?" Oceane raised an eyebrow.

"The mail might be checked by my father if it's addressed to Niveal, no matter the mailer we go to," Ava remembered why they hadn't done that before, "and we would need to get past Viv."

"Well, we are stuck here for the time being with no obvious solutions to get to the bottom of what is going on with Theo. Nothing will come of our hypotheticals and I have to start getting ready," Oceane climbed out of the bed then bowed, "catering to nobles waits for no one."

Ava laughed and watched her put on her shoes, "Are you going to come back later?"

"There is a party in the servant's quarters tonight. I was invited to go so I am going to see what information I can get out of a bunch of drunk people," Oceane smiled as she stood up straight from slipping on her loafers.

"And don't forget to also have fun."

"Of course I will," Oceane laughed, "I love parties. Can you believe I was actually invited this time?"

"I can," Ava sat up on the bed, "you are quite likable."

"Well, hopefully, that charm can work and I can have information ready for the running away meeting tomorrow,"

"I have lost the fight to refrain from calling it that, haven't I?"

"You can't lose a fight when no one else is in the ring," Oceane made her way toward the door.

"That doesn't even make sense!" Ava laughed as she called out behind a quickly disappearing Oceane.

"It does if you think about it," Oceane said as she turned into the hallway and out of sight, leaving Ava alone.

The door closed a minute after, presumably Arnelo giving her privacy. She was in the process of trying to pull herself from the bed and figure out something to do, maybe even head to the kitchens to sneak something out, when her door opened. Viv was standing at the entrance in something similar to what she would have expected to see a pirate adorn on a night in the lower decks after a long sun at sea.

Loose pants, an even looser shirt that was missing a few buttons. Except Viv didn't smell or look dirty. She walked into the room and hopped onto the bed before lying down.

"I got you the evening off," Viv hummed and looked over at Ava, "I can't believe you have questioned the benefits of working with me in the past."

"You haven't spoken to me in suns. What makes you think you can just come into my room on my evening to be at peace and interrupt that peace?" Ava huffed but still looked over at Viv.

She laughed, "I wasn't speaking to you because you slapped me."

"You deserved it," Ava turned to face the ceiling.

"There have been many times we've been working together in which I have deserved to be slapped, that was not one of them."

Ava sighed, "Whatever. I suppose you are right."

"I'm sorry for slapping you?" Viv prompted.

"But I'm not," Ava sat up and looked over at Viv with a slight smile.

"What did your mom say to you that made you like that?"

"She was proud of me. She had been waiting for this my whole life," Ava shook her head and waved the air, "I was just being dramatic."

"I could see how that could bother you," Viv acknowledged and Ava narrowed her eyes.

"Stop being nice," Ava commanded, "what are you doing in here, by the way?"

"Thought we could spend the evening together. I've got some pastries from town, some dragon's breath from Niveal, and some clear liquor from the Twins," Viv offered, "what do you say, princess?"

"You didn't bring anything with you," Ava searched Viv's path to the bed to see if she had dropped a bag somewhere.

"Well, you've been a downright monster with your emotions the past few suns, I wasn't going to get ahead of myself. Thought I would extend the offer first."

"Well, go get the things," Ava got up from the bed, "I am going to prepare to stuff the door so no one catches us."

Viv laughed and got out of bed too, "Anything else?"

"Food from the kitchens," Ava requested, "and something like what you are wearing so I don't have to wear a nightgown."

"Aye, princess," Viv bowed, "anything you want."

—--

They were sitting on Ava's window sill, with the windows cracked open as far as they could go before they hit metal bars. Ava was alternating between popping grapes into her mouth and taking sips from her drink. Viv was gossiping about some of the things she had observed at court about her sister, Penelope, when the conversation came to a natural end. Viv reached forward and took the drink from Ava and replaced it with a cigarette.

"Let's start this."

Ava jutted her foot out from where it was tucked under her and nudged Viv, "I know what you can do to make up for lying to me about Theo."

"Want to remind you, I didn't lie about anything," Viv put out a candle to help Ava light the dragon's breath, "but what can I do for you, princess?"

"I want to know more about you," Ava said, "I want to ask you questions."

"We've been there before. Didn't go well."

"I will be fair this time. No question is off limits but we have to both agree to that," she proposed and Viv shrugged a bit, reaching forward to take the cigarette.

"Fine, I suppose if I get to ask you things– and it will be fair– I will indulge you," Viv acknowledged, "but I can answer vaguely and it will have to do."

"Better than nothing," Ava agreed to the terms, "I start."

Viv motioned for her to go ahead.

"Did you love Theo?"

Viv's head snapped upright to fully look at Ava and she scrunched her nose, "Not answering."

"We just agreed to the rules."

"But that is not relevant," Viv argued.

"I want to know," Ava put her foot down, "did you love her?"

"Yes."

"Before or after you started the job to spy on her?"

"Before," Viv cleared her throat and looked out of the window as she passed the cigarette back.

"Do you regret taking the job?"

Viv just shrugged a bit but Ava could tell the answer was yes.

"How long did it take you to stop missing her?" Ava asked, the real reason she wanted to know if Viv had ever loved her was so she could ask this one. She wanted to know when the hole in her heart would seal.

Viv didn't answer.

"I know I got a lot of questions but you get the same amount. How long did it take you to stop missing her? Or loving her? Or both?"

"Is that three questions added to my tally or one?" Viv joked as a deflection.

"Two," Ava compromised, "how long?"

"It's never stopped. She's buried in my brain and engraved on the inside of my skull and I can never seem to get her out of my fucking head," Viv said while still looking outside of the window.

Ava could see in the reflection of the glass that her expression was one of vulnerability but Ava could also detect sadness, hurt, and perhaps even some lingering regret.

"So, if you're asking because you are trying to gauge how long recovery will take I am afraid I don't have good news for you," Viv chuckled but there was no humor behind it.

"What does it feel like? It's been lengths since you were on the ship. Have the feelings diminished? Is it constant?" Ava had asked her fair share but she needed more.

"It's constantly not constant..." Viv laughed a bit.

"Makes no sense."

"She's not always on my mind but there are far too many things that remind me of her. Don't know if she still likes it but she used to love jerky. It was practically like currency with her, ever since before she was a captain. Uncilo times," Viv looked down at her hands before looking back up at Ava, her face having recovered a bit from the initial emotions, "can't see jerky without thinking of her."

"What is it you remember the most?"

"Everything," Viv shook her head with a sigh and then dug the heels of her hands into her eyes, "why am I fucking telling you any of this?"

"I've been told I can disarm people quite easily," Ava provided.

"Witch," Viv dropped her hands into her lap dramatically, "what do you remember the most?"

"The way she looked at me," Ava put her head against the wall and took another drag of the cigarette, "tender, sweet, understanding, soft. I felt safe with her. I felt loved."

"And then it all changes in an instant," Viv commented and neither of them were meeting each others' gazes, "you still love her?"

"I can't answer that..." Ava surprised herself with the answer.

"What makes you say that?" Viv asked, taking full advantage of the tally of questions Ava had provided her.

"Even if she didn't know who I really was, nothing I ever told her about my time at home was a lie and I think she knew that. She still sent me back..." Ava said and it was her turn to look out of the window, "she hurt me worse than anyone could have. I know she thought I was with my family because my brother had lied but even before that she just tossed me aside."

Viv raised an eyebrow, "What really happened? I think I wasn't given the full story."

Ava scoffed, "So you can go and tell Jona?"

"You set the rules, princess. Can't get mad that I am trying to get my fair share out of this arrangement," Viv smirked a bit.

"You disguised this night as a way to get information," Ava crossed her arms, "here I was thinking you were actually trying to be somewhat friendly."

"You are the one that introduced questions," Viv laughed and leaned forward a bit, undoing Ava's crossed arms, "I am just taking advantage of an opportunity you presented. I believe I had a question, what happened with you and Theo?"

"Fletching told the island who I was and said Xyra, Cooker, Theo and I were working for my father. We stood trial, Theo cleared her name and when given the opportunity to take me out of prison she refused it. I wasn't given a proper trial by my crew and wasn't treated equally. Cooker and Xyra were more easily forgiven," Ava took a break from telling her story to puff on the cigarette three times until she was significantly higher than before in an attempt to keep a collected tone, "I was kept in prison for two cycles until I was locked away in a brig during the fight against The Center. Theo and I got captured by my brother, he tortured her and convinced her I was working against her the whole time. Which is hard to blame her for believing... he really didn't go easy on her."

Ava took a moment to recall the sight and suddenly, some of the anger toward Theo dissipated. It was still there, she could hold Theo to all that happened before the fight but she kept remembering the moment when her eyes softened again, when they looked at her without the stone coldness that had been there when she found out she was a Vaith. She kept rembering how hurt and scared Theo was. She kept visualizing the scar that ran across her face and the blood that had stained her skin.

"Then she was rescued and she let you go? She dropped you off somewhere?" Viv tilted her head, clearly not willing to give Ava a few moments to recover.

"We were rescued," Ava clarified, "the command was given to put me on a ship back to Aubermausse by her. Not on request of the crew."

Viv was silent for a bit of time then she cleared her throat, "I suppose you win."

"Win?"

"For shittiest treatment from Theo," Viv tried to joke, "although I might have contributed to the reason you were treated so harshly."

"I'm sure that is true, in part," Ava acknowledged and Viv laughed, nudging her back with her foot.

"I guess it's your turn," Viv said, "I am happy to end here though."

"No chance," Ava stopped to think for a moment, "why are you so..."

She struggled to find the words but Viv did that for her, "Malicious? Wicked? Evil, I think you've said in the past."

Ava couldn't stop her laughter, "I know I've asked you before but I am serious this time. You are a downright dreadful person. You just plainly admitted to knowingly hurting a person you love. Why?"

"I have nothing to lose. When there is so little riding on your shoulders, when you have no one to live for or anyone to care if you die, your perspective on life changes. It makes it easier to go out and grab what you want."

"So you hurt other people? Just because it's easier doesn't mean you have to do it."

"Other people get in my way and they get hurt and sometimes I regret it and sometimes I don't but that is life and people are going to get hurt," Viv seemed unbothered by the disbelief on Ava's face.

"You can still try and minimize damage," Ava shook her head, "what is it all for?"

"What I want has always been power. It had always been to have the ear of people of importance. Run the scenes from behind," Viv explained.

"But why? For money? Don't you have enough by now?" Ava shook her head.

"Because I can, Avery, I don't need a reason," Viv grabbed the cigarette with a chuckle.

"Do you want to help anyone? Is that ever your intention?"

"I'm helping you help people aren't I? Part of why I'm keeping you here," Viv shrugged, "I think Theo ruined your perception of how people in our line of work function. No one is as good as her, and even she has her bad moments."

"It's not hard to be good."

"Then you haven't been put in any tough situations, princess," Viv challenged.

Ava rolled her eyes, "Don't belittle me. I have been through my fair share."

"Sure, not saying you haven't experienced some stuff. I'm saying that being a part of Theo's crew made it really easy to have a clear path to good decisions. Not everyone has that luxury."

Ava refused to answer and instead took the last of the cigarette.

"How many people have you killed?" Viv asked.

"A handful," Ava answered, "you?"

"Twenty-three," Viv answered.

"And you've been in your line of work for how long?"

"Long time..."

"That seems like a small amount."

"I told you killing isn't my thing," Viv shrugged, "I guess when you have as skewed a moral compass as I do and have done the things I have done, justifying killing a bad person is not too easy."

"You have sympathy for dirtbags," Ava shot back.

"You pirates accept the idea of death too easily and it makes killing others easier," Viv shook her head and stood up, "been here too long, I should be going now."

"Did I make you uncomfortable?" Ava got off the windowsill and followed her. She didn't want Viv to leave, she enjoyed the company more than she thought she could.

"No, I have duties I need to get back to," Viv answered as she pulled on a coat she had brought along with the rest of the stuff, "you have distracted me long enough."

"You were the one that came," Ava followed, "it's late. Just finish your drink and the food and you can wake up early."

Viv turned around and faced her with a look of surprise on her face. She laughed and stepped forward, "You don't want me to go? A few nights ago you were slapping me and now you are practically begging me to stay."

"You are so ridiculous," Ava rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "on second thought, go."

"On second thought, I don't think I will," she took a step forward, "I think I have a few questions left in my tally."

Ava took a step back, "I think if you get up and make a move to leave, the game is over and the tally resets."

"You can't go making up your own rules," Viv said with a shrug, "if you do that, then I won't play with you anymore, princess."

"Will you stop calling me that?" Ava laughed, not finding it in her to take a scolding tone with Viv once again.

"You really do love it," Viv laughed too and took a step forward, "do I get my questions or not?"

Ava took another back until she was pressed against the windowsill and she sat back up on the ledge, "Fine."

"Was Theo your first and only?"

"Not my first or my only," Ava raised an eyebrow, knowing the reaction that it would receive.

She was right, Viv's mouth hung open a bit and she laughed, "The recluse was roaming the halls getting romanced the whole time?"

"I wasn't getting romanced while I lived here," Ava laughed with a slight shake of her head, "I had sex in Niveal for the first time. Then it was Theo."

"You made it seem like you were whoring around everywhere," Viv pouted a bit, "that's less fun."

"My first time was with three other people," Ava raised an eyebrow but Viv didn't react to that one.

"Still was only one instance before Theo."

"Four people in total!" Ava argued, trying to plead her case for being labeled adventurous.

"One time," Viv shrugged.

"Forgive me for finding it out of the ordinary for that to occur, I forgot you had four people just the other night," Ava rolled her eyes.

"Four including me," Viv corrected.

"Do you make it a habit of sleeping with men?" Ava derailed the subject.

Viv laughed a bit, "Why are you so interested in whether I'm a nox or not?"

"Because you like women, why would you need men?"

"I don't need men," Viv took a step toward her, making her way to the window, "I choose to enjoy the company of them from time to time."

"Not always?"

"My, my," Viv hummed and didn't slip into her nook next to Ava but instead stood right in front of her, "you seem mighty interested in my sexual preferences for someone who has stated on multiple occasions that they rather die than sleep with me. Don't see how my past partners are relevant."

"Just never seen someone," Ava tilted her head from one side to the other, "y'know."

"Fuck a man?" Viv smirked a bit.

"What do you get out of it?" Ava crossed her arms.

"Same thing you get out of it with anyone, getting to hear someone whimper under you is reward enough," Viv was staring at Ava trying to get a reaction but Ava just shrugged, unfazed.

"Do you sleep with people often?" Ava met her gaze and didn't let herself back down.

"No more questions for you," Viv hummed and then reached forward and pushed some hair out of Ava's face, "wouldn't want all this talk to get you riled up with no outlet."

Ava felt her cheeks flush and her body burn and she had no idea why. She didn't know what she was saying or even if it had any logic to it but she still stammered out.

"I have an outlet!"

Viv leaned in close, "I bet you my hand is better than yours so if your outlet is ever feeling a little stale, let me know."

Viv began to walk away without turning around, gazing at Ava with a knowing grin. Ava just rolled her eyes in return and dismissed her with a wave of her hand.

"We both know it's only a matter of time," Viv continued to tease her. She shot Ava a wink as she pulled on her coat and then slipped out of the room before Ava could throw a shoe her way, which is what would have happened if she had stayed half a minute longer.

—--

"Can we stop this now?" Ava laughed with a roll of her eyes, holding a bunch of grapes over someone's head as she splayed across a couch.

"No," Theo laughed in tandem from her spot on the floor, her head tilted back onto the couch with her mouth opening back up for grapes, "complete your duties, Red."

"You have too big of an ego," Ava hummed as she lowered the bunch of grapes until Theo's teeth clamped around one and pulled it off.

"I did not ask for this," Theo said after she had chewed her grape for a few seconds, "you offered to feed me grapes if I won our fight and then I won the fight."

"Take pity on me," Ava pouted and slid onto the floor, still holding the grapes in her hand.

"Here," Theo reached forward and plucked one off its stem, "open up. This one's for you."

Ava opened her mouth but made no move to lean forward.

Theo rolled her eyes with a smile, "Oh come on, you're not even going to work for it?"

Theo reached forward, putting a finger under her chin and bringing it forward gently before putting the fruit in Ava's mouth. She laughed with her mouth closed and looked around the room as she chewed, breaking Theo's eye contact. The room looked odd to her, hazy almost but she didn't remember smoking. Or when Theo had bought this couch. Or how Theo was there with her, but it seemed like a problem for another time.

She turned back to the captain with a question about something she forgot about the moment she faced Theo. She was leaning in for a kiss and Ava was more than happy to oblige. Her lips were sweet and Ava melted into the warmth. As it usually happened when they would spar, their intimacy shortly after was adrenaline filled and aggressive. Controlled chaos that made her want to be wrapped up in Theo for hours.

Ava was straddling Theo but it was getting uncomfortable on the floor, she pulled away to ask to move it to the bed but the person staring back at her wasn't Theo.

"What's the matter, princess?" Viv reached forward with a smirk and cupped her cheek, "did I scare you off?"

"Viv?" Ava asked and then looked around, the room was not where she had been before, she was back in the estate, with cold stone walls surrounding her.

Ava looked back at Viv and felt a blush rise in her cheeks from the proximity and her compromising state. Before she could get much out, she heard a commotion in the distance and it pulled her away.

Ava opened her eyes to Mallory and Oceane whispering between themselves as they searched around the seating area in her room. Ava lifted her head up slightly to watch them before laying her head back down, a frown on her face. It hadn't been the first time she had dreamt of Theo but it always left a lump in her throat. It was, however, the first time she had dreamt of Viv.

And it would be the last. What was wrong with her? Viv was the one that told her family she was alive. Both of the women in her dream were responsible for her being back there.

"I'm sure someone put it in Avery's jewelry box," Mallory whispered.

"I shouldn't have let you convince me to take it off!" Oceane said in a harsh, but low voice.

"You had to take it off so they wouldn't snag on Avery's dresses when you tried them on. Which was your idea," Mallory reminded, "now she will know we tried on her dresses and she will know that we were in here without her knowing and she will be mad we woke her."

"She sleeps like a wooden log," Oceane dismissed as she frantically kept looking.

"Yet somehow you managed to wake me," Ava sat up in bed after she had given herself some ample time to recover.

"Morning, Red," Oceane smiled, "how'd you sleep? It's getting late."

"You are so obvious when you've done something wrong," Ava laughed and pulled off her covers.

"I have told her that," Mallory shrugged, "she refused to take lessons from me."

"You should take her up on that. She made Killian take the blame for burning down the stables one time," Ava walked over to her vanity, "No horses were involved, thank goodness."

"How do you burn down a stable on accident?" Oceane tilted her head as she looked over at Mallory.

"Why are you asking me?" Mallory blinked her eyes innocently with a slight frown, "I wasn't the one that burned it down."

Oceane narrowed her eyes, "That's obvious too. It's no better than what I did."

Mallory stuck her tongue out and Ava walked over to the both of them with something in her hand.

"I knew both of you were in here because I could smell Mallory's perfume even hours after you were gone," Ava held up an earring between two of her fingers, "missing this?"

It was snatched out of her hand in an instant and then arms were wrapping around her.

"Thank you, Red," Oceane said as she squeezed her even harder.

"Put that away somewhere safe, O," Ava hugged back.

The earring was her father's gift to her from when she was a child and she had managed to sneak it all the way through her trials and perils.

Oceane put the earring away in her pocket and kept her hand in it, "I'm going to go do that now. And then, I will be back! For the meeting."

Ava laughed at the unneeded clarification.

Mallory clapped her hands, "I have news to share during the meeting! I am going to go get some drinks and pastries from the kitchen to celebrate!"

She watched them walk out then splayed out on one of her couches, letting the bit of silence wash over her. She looked over to her windowsill where she had sat with Viv the night before. She felt this tug in her gut of want and need. It wasn't the same feelings she always had with Theo. It wasn't adoration, enamor, or even excitement to be around her. Viv had something she wanted, some sort of relief from cycles upon cycles of nobody warming her bed.

She brought her thumb up to her mouth to pick at the edges of her skin, running through the benefits and consequences of making it known to Viv that perhaps her skills and experience could be of use for Ava. But that was a dangerous game she would be playing and the consequences outnumbered the benefits, by quite a large margin. Her thoughts were interrupted by Arnelo at the door.

"Lady Ava, your father has requested your presence immediately."

Ava sat up quickly, concern settling over her brow, "My father?"

"Yes, ma'am," Arnelo nodded, "I can escort you there."

Ava got up and was about to walk out but she realized she was in her nightgown.

"Shit," she sighed as she threw her arms up, "I wasn't planning on getting dressed until later and now my plans are foiled."

"Do you need me to leave so you can change, Lady Ava?" Arnelo asked as Ava opened her wardrobe and slipped on a simple dress not made for court or company.

She slipped the dress over her nightgown, it was stuffy but nothing worse than anything she experienced in her fancier dresses, "No need, you can take me now."

Arnelo did as he was told. She asked if he knew why she was being called but he could provide no information, as usual. Once she arrived, she didn't wait for his guards to give her permission to enter. Instead, she walked up to the door and knocked.

"Come in," her father called out and she opened the door.

He was standing behind his desk and he wasn't alone, Killian was standing in the middle of the room with his arms crossed and a sour look on his face.

"I'm sorry," Ava hesitated at the door, "I can come back."

"No," he motioned her in, "please, stay. Your brother was just having a conversation about you. I thought you would want to be here to hear what he has to say."

Ava followed his direction and stepped inside of the room, glancing at her brother who refused to face her.

"I apologize, I don't understand if I am in trouble here. I haven't done anything," Ava said even though there were plenty of things she had done wrong.

"Killian, would you like to share?" her father prompted.

"I came to you in confidence," Killian complained.

"You came to me carrying an accusation that could see your younger sister at the end of a noose or a blade. You can now levy that accusation against her when she can defend herself, if you are correct then she will be dealt with," he popped open a button on his coat and sat down, "repeat what you said to me, Killian."

"She is getting close to Jona for political reasons, not romance-"

"May I interject and say that no union with anyone from this house is for romance," Ava laughed slightly, hoping making light of things would soften suspicion of her.

"She is forging an alliance to see you out of the equation," Killian accused and Ava's head snapped over, "they are working together and she is a traitor to the house."

"Your evidence, Killian?" her father titled his head.

"I don't have any," he said and he seemed frustrated, "that is why I came to you in private instead of causing a scene."

"Avery, do you care to rebuttal?" her father motioned to her and gave her the floor.

"I want to commend you on your imagination, Kill," she smiled his way with a slight chuckle, then looked at her father, "He is correct, in a way. I am getting close to Jona as a political move. To avoid going into too much detail while certain parties are in this room, in case those parties drink too much and open their mouth, I will just say that you and I both know my intentions, my desires, and my goals. Jona provides a way to secure that."

Her father raised an eyebrow, "He is the third son of his house."

"So is Killian and is he not making his way up in the world? He became poised to take your title overnight. The same can happen to Jona," Ava controlled her tone to be as plain as possible to not tip Killian off but her father nodded in understanding of her implication.

"Killian, you may leave now," her father dismissed him, "read the books I gave you by next cycle. You have been sitting on them for far too long"

Ava waited for the door to close behind her. She didn't know what came over her but she never did when trying to get what she wanted.

"Killian is not good at this," Ava stepped closer to the desk, "I am. Penelope, Griselda, Mallory, Killian, they are all good at court. They are good at the social aspect, I am not."

"You have been successful this past cycle," he answered with a shrug.

"I have been good, but that is because I have been doing it for a political reason. And I have been good, sure, but not great. This is what I'm great at," Ava pleaded her case, leaning her hands on the desk after she had creeped close enough.

"What is your purpose with Jona Ammyrett?" he ignored her previous comment.

"He wants power and I want reforms passed," Ava explained, spilling the secrets she had promised not to spill, "he is going to kill his family and take their place but he needs legitimacy to do that."

"You have painted an incomplete picture, Avery," her father tapped his finger against his arm, "I don't enjoy having to exercise patience where it isn't needed. Please elaborate."

"He is going to step up into a larger role in his house, have his father's ear. You will propose reform. You know I'm right about having to qualm the rising fire through laxer and charitable policies and so will most people. But it is a near guarantee that his brothers and his father would oppose these policies. If not because they disagree then because they dislike you," she managed to sit down, not breaking his gaze. For the first time, she felt a bit of excitement rush through her, a bit of vigor. She shrugged it off before continuing, "you undercut him, question his judgment. Jona will work behind the scenes to get him to come around.

"None of this is a guarantee, you cannot predict people's actions," he argued.

"I will make use of all the resources available to me that might help me pass the reforms, he is but one of the avenues I have begun to seek out. If it works out, you depose an enemy and pass reforms to make people happier as classification comes around. If it doesn't, no harm happens."

"Your brother would still come to power," he pointed out, "even if reforms pass and you make every move at the right time, you would not be heir to my seat. You are a woman and cannot hold a position on the Council."

"I can work from the shadows. Then and now. This is not about power for me. I don't need to be at the front of this," Ava shook her head, "I mean, our reforms could include policies that benefit women and open the door for a woman on the Councill but not me. I wouldn't want that. I don't have the diplomacy needed. If he can get along with me, I can aid Killian once he inherits the title."

"What is your motivation?"

"To pass reforms."

"What is your motivation to pass reforms?" he repeated.

"To do good," Ava scrunched her face in confusion, "has that not been clear?"

"So, why would I trust you to be guiding me in the right direction with your words? You cannot guarantee me that it is the best decision to follow what you say. For all its worth, you may be leading me to ruin on purpose. There is significant risk in what you propose," he shook his head and Ava could feel she was losing him.

"Great moves– winning moves– in the game of Titan are not those moves that are guaranteed," Ava argued, she had heard it once from Theo and while she knew nothing about the game of Titan, she had taken Theo's word for it, "and is this not just one big game of it?"

"Games often do not have real consequences, this is not a game," he pushed back.

"I am not trying to sell you on anything. If I didn't think it was possible, I wouldn't propose it. I know you have read more than just the approved texts, I know you think I am right," she argued, "going after the pirates was an abject failure and it only served to further anger the common people. This is what we need if Baethos is to stay afloat and under Council control."

He was quiet, looking past her and at a spot on the wall. She didn't glance back to see what it was, she was staring intently at him.

"I suppose it is possible to attempt to propose change and put a failsafe in place to minimize the fallout if things go wrong," he finally spoke up, meeting her gaze.

He stood up and Ava did too.

"You are going to pass reforms?" Ava's eyes went wide.

"You and I will discuss what that looks like in the coming cycles and perhaps have something to propose to The Council when the meeting arrives," he nodded, "but, this is a fragile and tentative arrangement, Avery."

"Understood," she kept her smile at bay, "give me a test, I will pass it."

"We have to build the base before we build the structure, darling," he circled his desk and led her to the door, "I will see you at court tonight. You and Jona will be sitting next to me at dinner."

Before she knew it, the door was shut in her face and once she had recovered,she turned to Arnelo.

"Did Killian look mad when he left?"

"Extremely."

"Hm," Ava titled her head, "if I killed him, would you help me hide his body?

—------

After leaving her father's office, she walked around the estate for a long while. Then, took the scenic route back to her bedroom. After standing outside for more than a few minutes, Arnelo leaned over.
"You have been standing out here for a long while, Lady Ava," he whispered.

"Have you seen Vivexa today?" Ava whispered back.

"I saw her walking the halls with Jona," he answered, finally having some information for her, "they were headed in the direction of the guest wing."

"Hm," Ava looked over at him, "I caught them having sex with each other. Do you think that happens often?"

Arnelo shrugged, "They seem very close. Maybe they are secretly in a relationship."

"Maybe," she nodded, "keep an eye on them."

"Yes ma'am."

"Arnelo," she sighed at the name and stepped away from the wall and toward the door of her room.

"Sorry," he said with a slight chuckle and Ava couldn't help but smile at the break in his usual stoicism.

"I'm going to go attend to them. They are probably very angry," Ava waved at him and then opened the door to her room.

Oceane was behind the couch, leaning over with her whole torso splayed across the back of it. In front of her was Mallory, sitting on the couch with a sketchbook in her hand.

"I'm back," she announced her presence, even though they didn't know where she had gone, and joined them on the couch. She sat next to her sister and looked at the pages, "what's this?"

Mallory smiled and transferred her book onto Ava's lap and Ava looked back at Oceane who had leaned to hover over her, "I asked what this was."

"My drawings," Mallory beamed, "look, look."

Ava looked down to see a drawing of herself, a bandana adorning short curly hair and a run-of-the-mill outfit she would have worn on the deck. Next to her was Oceane and then on the other side was Mallory, all in similar outfits. Ava frowned as she stared at it but there wasn't enough time to dwell on it because Mallory leaned over and turned the page.

"I made these from the stories you and O have told me," Mallory was beaming and she was looking to Ava for a response but instead Ava just stared down at the pages as they were flipped for her, silent.

"Look," Oceane stopped Mallory from turning one of the pages, "doesn't that look like Cook? She did a good job with that one."

"You described her for me and I kind of have a good idea of what she looked like when she was younger," Mallory tried to make it seem like it wasn't hard, "I didn't have so much luck with everyone else though."

Another page was flipped and she saw two people that were vaguely familiar but they didn't resemble anyone she knew.

"This is what I think Xyra looks like," Mallory pointed to one side of the page and then to another, "and Theo."

Ava felt a weight pang in her chest. It looked completely different from what Theo and Xyra were like but it still made her miss them. She remembered Xyra's cold kindness and how much she helped her grow in her time as her second. She stopped Mallory from turning the page as she looked at Theo. She didn't know why a drawing of someone who barely had the essence of Theo was affecting her and she wished she had a cure for how she was feeling.

Any excitement she had felt earlier at the news that her father was giving her a chance to prove herself was replaced with dread. As she stared at the pictures it hit her for the first time, she didn't think she could leave. Even if she was on good terms with Theo, even if they came to rescue her right then, even if the path opened up for her to leave at that instant she didn't think should take it.

She had unfettered access to everything– or rather she was on the path of unlimited access. She could play the game from the inside, actually bring everything down. Or at least gut The Center and get real people in government. She didn't have the solution but she had avenues. Even if Theo didn't believe in her anymore, she believed in Theo's cause. She believed people needed to be free from tyranny. Brandon Cooker– revolution leader and next on her list of allies needed to be made– was barely a half-cycle journey from her. Jona Amyrett was there with her, her father had agreed to hear her out and her mother was not in the way. If there was a prime position, she was in it.

If she paid no mind to the misery and weariness in her soul when she was in Aubermasse, she would be able to survive it. Then maybe, on the other side of whatever happened, she could leave. Not to seek out a person or a crew but just to live. To be miserable no longer.

Fingers were snapping in front of her and her attention was pulled toward Mallory, "Are we ready for the meeting? We've been waiting for so long. You disappeared."

"Right. Sorry," she avoided answering where she had been, "you said you had news?"

Mallory nodded and put the sketchbook to the side. She seemed upset that Ava had no enthusiasm toward the sketches she was shown but jumped into her important update.

"I have been going to the stables some aftermornings. I have been making nice with the horses and the stableboys. If we do it at night and convince just one or two people to leave the stable open and the estate gate open we can run in a cycle if we want to," Mallory presented her news and threw in an idea with it.

"We get one shot at this," Oceane shook her head, "we can't risk it all on two people coming to our aid."

Mallory frowned, "How is everyone but me good at strategizing? No one disagrees with either of you as much as you all do with me."

"Comes with time," Ava assured but she was struggling to find purchase in the conversation, her mind preoccupied with how she would break the news.

"Well, I bear news about the Lady Avery's popularity," Oceane said in as deep a voice as she could manage.

Mallory shoved her a bit with a laugh, "Stop, I hate that voice."

"It's my noble servant voice," Oceane continued but couldn't hold character much longer, she coughed a bit and then shook her head, "People are liking you."

"How much?" Mallory asked, "and what about me?"

"There are still some naysayers. They think something is afoot. They think Red's making a move for power," Oceane shrugged.

"Well, in a way are they wrong?" Mallory tilted her head, "and me? Nothing about me yet?"

"Sorry, Mal," Oceane shrugged.

Mallory frowned, "I tried last week. I was nice to the kitchen staff and none would talk to me."

"You are at a disadvantage. Red's got a reputation of being a rebel," Oceane argued.

Ava couldn't bring herself to comment on anything that was happening. She was disconnected and she knew Oceane was starting to take notice. She geared herself up for coming clean and felt her stomach turn a bit at having to share the news.

"You good?" Oceane put her hand over Ava's arm.

"I was called into a meeting with my father," Ava said, avoiding eye contact with them, "that is where I was."

"Are you in trouble?" Mallory asked.

Ava shook her head and she could barely swallow with how dry her mouth had gotten, "I don't think I can leave. I can't go."

Mallory frowned and Ava finally met her eyes. She then looked at Oceane who just seemed confused.

"Are you in trouble?" Mallory repeated and then looked between her and Oceane, "I don't understand-"

"He is agreeing to give me a chance with these reforms. He is letting me be in the shadows and guide policy," Ava admitted.

"You just so easily became a politician? All it took was one meeting with father and that's it. It's over for all of us," Mallory scoffed and stood up.

"You both can still leave. In fact, I will do everything in my power to help that happen but it's not a good idea for me to leave. Not now," Ava also stood up, followed by Oceane who had been quiet.

"Well, unlike you we aren't selfish so we wouldn't leave you!" Mallory was escalating things even when everyone else remained calm but Ava knew the frustration she was feeling. She understood the sensation of being trapped.

"O?" Ava turned to face her, "do you have anything to say?"

"Mal isn't going to be pleased," Oceane offered a slight smile, "sorry."

"What is it?" Mallory crossed her arms.

"If we're here, and Red's got power that means we are in a good position to help the revolution," Oceane said in an almost grimace, expecting Mallory's reaction to be dramatic.

And it was.

"I cannot believe this," Mallory began walking away, "I'm going to be married off to an old pig and no one cares!"

"Come on, Mallory! You want to talk about being selfish, that is what you are being right now," Ava went to follow but Oceane pulled her back.

"Leave it. Put yourself in her shoes."

"I'm the only noble here you should be defending," Ava teased a bit and she let Mallory go and turned around to face Oceane, "I have to stay, O."

"I know. I think you should."

"I promise to get you out of here."

"I'm staying here by your side. If you are taking The Center down, I am doing it with you," Oceane took her hand.

"I can't ask you to do that," she shook her head.

"I'm forcing you to keep me here," Oceane squeezed her hand, "Mal will be upset for a while but she will come around."

"You have a crew waiting for you," Ava pulled her hand away.

"You are still a part of my crew, Red. And if none of the other dense, stubborn fuckers on that ship can wake up long enough to realize you can help with our fight against dictators, then I just have to be here to help you myself."

"You will be safer there. Surrounded with people to protect you," Ava shook her head, "if my father decides he wants you gone or you cross the wrong noble when no one is looking, you could be dead."

"The revolution is what will fuel my soul, Red," Oceane fought back, "You know what they did to my home. To my family. I want to be here, tearing them apart from the inside out..."

Ava smiled a bit, "I don't want to express my excitement because I feel like that is selfish and I don't want to prove Mallory right but I am glad I get to have you by my side. I can't balance working for my father and moonlighting for the revolution on my lonesome."

Oceane returned the smile, "I will be here. Just promise me you won't lose sight of the goal."

"With you by my side, I don't think that will be an issue," Ava said and released a sigh of relief after. Oceane laughed at that and sighed too, sitting down once again.

"So, what now? What's first? As your self-appointed advisor, I advise we need to find direction."

"I don't know," Ava bit her thumbnail, "I need to tell Viv about my father... but not about revolution. She would thwart that."

"You need to keep fake courting with Ammyrett now that you know you can work with your dad," Oceane added on.

"I need to get in contact with Brandon Cooker," Ava looked over to Oceane, "the Cookers usually come for court but we can't be guaranteed he'll come. I need to find a way to get word to him to meet me."

"You can just ask your mom," Oceane offered, "she seems to know who is and isn't coming for the rest of the season. If he's not, maybe you can convince your dad to get him to come. Play it off as trying to get to know the next heir to the Cooker household."

"I'm already doing that to a degree with Jona so it wouldn't be a stretch," Ava nodded then frowned, taking a deep breath, "if you are staying, we should focus our energy on getting a letter to them in Niveal. To Theo. Let them know you are alright."

"Viv won't let us leave the estate without ample supervision. Which is why we haven't done it before," Oceane reminded her of a conversation they had already had, "and the mail checkers?"

"We can make it work. I will convince Arnelo to let you send a letter, you can go with him into town under the guise of getting something for me and I will distract Viv," Ava laid out the plan, one that was shot down before, "I will find out a way to get a letter out without alerting my father."

"Well, hopefully, it works. But you might ask Arnie and he'll tell you no and then alert Viv," Oceane reasoned.

"He hates her. We can get him on our side with a bit more time," Ava shook her head with a laugh, "is it ridiculous to say that I know he is good. I can just feel it in my gut."

"I've felt that too. It's how I feel about your sister too. She's good and she is desperate to get out of here..." Oceane started and fixed Ava with a look as Ava looked away, "It's not different than when you got here, I imagine, and it can't be easy for her knowing that we have gotten to experience freedom like that and she hasn't."

"People can't always get what they want," Ava muttered.

Oceane laughed, "You are the master of pouting until they get what they want. Are you surprised your blood relative wouldn't be the same?"

"Fine. I get it. I will go apologize at some point," Ava nodded.

The door opened and Viv looked inside, "Did you make your sister cry?"

"I did," Ava looked over at the intruder.

She walked in without being invited, "Heard from Jona that you and he are having dinner by your father's side this evening."

"You should tell her now," Oceane got up and walked toward the exit, passing Viv on the way, "I'm sure you are going to be thrilled to hear this."

"Eventful morning, princess?"

"I could ask the same," Ava raised an eyebrow, "having a bedroom galavant with Jona so early in the sun?"

"You are obsessed with me," Viv smirked and sat on the couch opposite Ava, "I would also say, borderline jealous, which I can say I do find very attractive."

"You have been a menace lately," Ava shook her head, "do you want me to tell you where I've been?"

"With your father, Arnelo told me when I passed by him earlier," Viv relaxed against the couch, "what did you discuss?"

"Well, before I divulge the good news I want to clarify the terms of our partnership," Ava said as she mimicked Viv by sitting back on the couch, "if you suggest something and I do not agree with it, you cannot manipulate things so that it goes your way regardless."

"Fine," Viv agreed but it wasn't believable, Ava would still watch out.

"Two, when milestones are achieved I get rewards. You see, as a noble, I am motivated by material things. I would say what I am about to tell you counts as achieving a milestone and I know what I want."

"I suppose I can grant you your wishes, within reason."

"I want to send a letter. I have no plans of running away but I want to let Theo and the crew know that Oceane is safe," Ava stated.

"That isn't within reason. I would be failing at my job. And your father probably has people checking the mail. Nobles do it all the time," Viv argued back, "something small. The milestones are reward enough."

"Fine. I know what I want for this one and the next," Ava crossed her arms, upset her plan didn't work. It never did with Viv, "I want to see your sketchbook and I want 10 books on topics of my choice for my next achievement."

"What are these achievements?"

"I will explain after our negotiations."

"I can give you three pages in my sketchbook and you get five books," Viv shot back.

Ava paused, narrowing her eyes slightly as she thought of her counter, "How many pages are in your sketchbook?"

"Not sure. Lots."

"Three isn't fair then."

"Four, final offer or I don't play in your little made-up game," Viv leaned forward and grabbed a handful of nuts from the table, probably Mallory's.

"Agreed," Ava took what she could get, Viv wasn't like the pirates; she wouldn't give in.

"Information," Viv said, muffled by her chewing.

"Killian went to go see my father today and accused me of whatever lie he had cooked up that something was going on between Jona and me," Ava explained and Viv looked to grow slightly concerned, "Instead of denying it, I agreed that I was only getting close to Jona for a particular reason. In a one-on-one conversation with my father, I made him privy to the alliance and plans that Jona and I had."

"You weren't supposed to say anything," Viv scolded.

"My father wants a new face to the Ammyrett household, he wants another ally. He can't guarantee how The Council will look come reclassification but we can almost guarantee that the Vaiths and the Ammyretts will be on it, together it would be an unbeatable alliance," Ava argued back, "and I knew that. You know what it earned me?"

Viv rolled her eyes, "What?"

"I have his ear. He has promised to hear me out. It is tentative and most likely fragile but I did it," Ava revealed.

A smile crossed Viv's face but she didn't jump for joy or act too enthused, "Foot's in the door, princess. Congratulations on your first victory."

"At dinner tonight, I am going to request a meeting for the morning and propose poverty relief."

"Would never pass the council," Viv speculated.

"It does if we pair it with tax reform," Ava said.

Viv's eyebrows shot up and she laughed, "What kind of books did you read in your length away?"

"Ones that made sense," Ava shook her head, "I don't need your approval, need I remind you."

"Fine. If he says yes to it, good for you," Viv said, "Is that all?"

"I want to murder Killian," Ava confessed, "I want to drive a dagger through his stomach and watch him slowly suffer."

"Your brother and Jona were in Niveal together a few lengths back and I swore I was about to maim him and you know I'm not one for killing," Viv laughed and stood up, pulling something out of her jacket pocket then discarding it and walking to Ava's couch.

Ava looked at Viv's hand to see a sketchbook.

"I suppose you might not have many things in there because you threw the last one out of the window," Ava noted.

"I have a few of them. I mainly use them for notes or reminders," Viv divulged, "this one is older, I carry it around with me when I know I am going to have time to use it for more than just work. Usually, if I'm in one place for a while."

Ava looked over and was shocked at the slight bit of humanity and normalcy that was emanating from Viv. The fortress was still there but the bridge to cross the moat was down. Viv held the sketchbook up.

"You get four pages."

"Can I ask you to show me certain ones?"

"I suppose."

"Do you have any of Theo? Any paintings or portraits," Ava wanted to see if Viv had any more of an ability to capture her essence than Mallory. She could remember her clearly in her head but for some reason, even among the resignation of seeing her again something urged her to want to see her one last time, even if just through paper.

Viv chuckled but it was dry, "Damn the ounce of integrity I still carry with me."

Viv flipped the pages and stopped on one. Ava instantly recognized her former Captain. It was well made and Ava hadn't thought that Viv was this good. Her sister was talented, her portraits were not bad because they were ugly but rather because it didn't capture Theo's likeness. But Mallory had massive amounts of tutors and training in the arts once her mother realized her talent.

She had little information about Viv's life when she was younger but she didn't think she would have been the type to be afforded those same opportunities. She thought it was a hobby but not that she would be so proficient in it. It struck her, the beauty that was captured on such a small page. The drawing featured Theo sitting on a desk, her captain's hat on with one of her usual training outfits, not elaborate captain's attire. She looked stoic for the most part, with a slight smile playing at the edge of her lips.

What was most striking was how young Theo looked. She didn't look like a kid but she was most likely fresh into her captaincy. Tattoos were lining her arms but not as many as she had when Ava knew her. She was going to ask something but it was answered for her.

"This is one of my older books so I have quite a few of her in here."

"Is this something you did often?" Ava asked.

Viv shrugged, "I sketch when I am nervous or need to get some excess emotions out of my system, and with Theo, there was a lot of that."

"Can I see another one of her?"

"Using two just for that?" Viv teased, "I have hundreds of pages and you only get four."

"Fine," Ava's stomach turned at the fact that she was limited in her resources and she would either need to use her opportunity to learn more about Viv or to keep dwelling on Theo, "you have any other portraits?"

"It's most of what I do," Viv acknowledged.

"If this is old, do you have anyone else on the crew?" Ava asked, hoping to get one last look at some of the others.

"Plenty. Officers were quite different back then though so I might not have anyone you recognize."

"Xy?" Ava asked.

"Were you friends with her?" Viv asked as she flipped through pages, "I assume you worked with her but work and friends are sometimes separate."

"I was friends with her," Ava smiled sadly, aside from a rough start, Xyra was good to her, "why do you hate her so much?"

Viv shrugged and stopped on a page, showing it to Ava. Xyra also looked younger but not by much. She had always looked younger than she was and she resembled herself in the portrait. It captured her from her neck up, a stern expression with a subtle tenderness behind her eyes as she was looking off to the side.

"She would not stop staring at Navi during a meeting so I got inspired to capture it," Viv laughed a bit.

"What were she and Navi like back then?"

Viv laughed, "A mess. Are they still together?"

"It was a bit messy when I left," Ava hummed in agreement, "but in love still."

"Not surprised about that one," Viv snorted a bit and let Ava just look down at the picture.

"Were you never friends with her?"

"We had been friends since we were growing up but some people are just not compatible in the long run. She is rigid and cold and I am not rigid and less cold," Viv compared but Ava saw the similarities.

"You've mentioned you knew them when they were under Uncilo. What were they like?"

"Not much different than they are now."

Ava had so many more questions about them when they were younger but it would only hurt to dwell.

"Can I see a new drawing?"

"Any specifications?"

Ava shook her head, "Randomly stop on one."

Viv left it up to her and Ava chose a page in the thick, small book to open to. She unfolded the book to give way to the image on the page and saw a disturbing creature. It wasn't anything she recognized and she wasn't sure if that was from legends or the imagination. Ava frowned and looked over to Viv.

"Do you do these kinds of things when you feel a certain emotion?"

"I agreed to show you, not explain what I showed you," Viv cut off the line of questioning.

"Defensive," Ava noted and closed the book again.

She opened it to a random place and what she saw on the page inspired fear. She couldn't make sense of everything on it, there was dark on most of the page with a dismembered body in the middle of all the darkness. But the book was taken away before she could really take it all in.

Viv put the sketchbook under her leg, "What do you want when you pass your poverty policies?"

"Books."

"I know. What topic?"

"I will get back to you on that. Can I ask you a question?"

"All you do is ask questions."

"What was she like back then?"

"The other night you were begging to know how long it would take to get over her and yet you keep seeking her out."

"You're still in love with her. I kind of am too. What better way to commiserate over someone we will never get back," Ava laughed and got comfortable on the couch, facing Viv.

"I'm not in love with her still. It's been several lengths," Viv argued.

"You said she was ingrained in your mind. That is telling," Ava said and shrugged, "she is for me too. What was she like?"

"Honorable. Fearless. Stubborn," Viv shrugged, "and now?"

"Honorable. Stubborn. Fearless in all the wrong times," Ava laughed a bit, "she was always worried about her leadership and her ability to Captain."

"It has always been like that, I think," Viv recalled, "why Theo? There are plenty of people on that ship."

"She is subversive. Everything you would expect her to be, she isn't. No greed, a mind for ethics, a kind heart, passion, empathy," Ava listed but it hurt her. With all of those qualities, she was still hurt by her in the end. She lightened the mood a bit, "and attractive. So, so hot."

Viv snorted a bit, "Don't remind me. It makes me genuinely upset."

They both laughed and Viv looked over at her. Her face fell into one of understanding and a bit of pity.

"I will stop asking you about her. There is no point," Ava acknowledged.

"And what about your plans for running away?" Viv asked.

"As you've said, even if Theo was waiting for me on Niveal with open arms and a crew that welcomed me back I would have to stay here. It's a rare opportunity to help in a way that has not really been done in recent history," Ava divulged, trying to toe the line between getting too excited and giving away that she was talking about the revolution more than anything.

Viv raised both eyebrows, looking a mix of impressed and surprised, "Anything else before I do what I need to for the rest of the sun?"

"Why does Jona call you Vex?"

"Some people call me that," Viv said and stood up.

"Is Vivexa your real name?"

"It's the only name I've ever gone by," Viv nodded.

"Is Vex only for special people?"

"It's a nickname," Viv grabbed her coat, "and I suppose it's typically only special people that use those."

"Did Theo ever do it?"

"Sure, occasionally. So did the other girls."

"Can I?" Ava raised an eyebrow.

"No," Viv laughed and slipped on her coat, "good luck at dinner. I won't see you before then but I'm sure you know what to do."

"What do you do when you aren't here?"

"Lots," Viv chuckled.

"For business or pleasure?"

"Both."

"Fuck off. You give me no information," Ava crossed her arms and pressed back against the couch.

"I don't tell you what doesn't interest you, my lady," Viv replied.

"Disgusting," Ava huffed but laughed anyway, "princess is way better."

"I knew you liked it," Viv teased as she backed away, "see you soon."